Grain separator



June 26, 1928 Y J. A. PERKINS GRAIN SEPARATOR Filed Oct. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR JOHN AZ PER/0N6 2 sheets-swat 2 Fiied 001;. 5,

- [/WE/VTOR JbH/v AZ PERM/v6 Patented June 26, 1928.

UNITED STATES Joan A. PERKINS, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.)

Ge m sEiBARAToR,

(Application filed '0ct'o ber 5, 1925. Serial so, 60,482.

This invention relatesto' new and useful improvements in grain separators; generally, and more particularly relates to such separators of thetype employing an inclinedbelt having an indented or pocketed surface onto which the materialto be separated "isde- 'livcred.

An object of the invention is to provide a flexible separating belt for a grain separator having. its outersurface covered with a plurality of suitablepockets adapted to receive. material, and the walls between said pockets being flexible so as to permitthe pockets to elongate orenlarge as the .belt passesovera supporting roll, thereby causing the pockets to'more readily discharge the materialbeing conveyed. and increasing the speed andcapacity of the separator.

A further objectofthc invention is to provide a grain separator having aninclined; indented separating belt mounted therein and said belt having means coopervating therewith to prevent l'eakage'of the material from the 'belts surfacefwhen in operation.

A further and more specific objectis to provide such a. separator having inclined guards or guides arranged on each side'of the separating belt adjacent the'upper. surface thereof, thereby causing the material to be continually traveling into a wider "area I v with ihercsult that it cannot possibly escape 7 over the sides thereof.

The particular object of the invention, therefore, is to provide an improved separating belt for grain separators which is an improvement over the form shown in my U. 53. application, December 3, 1923.1 r

. Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawingsznid will be pointed at in the annexed claims.

In the drawings, there has been disclosed in the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a vertical SGCllODZLl view through a separator showing my lll'lPlOVCCl separating belt mounted therein;

] Figure 2 is a sectional plan view on the its supporting roll; and

Serial No. 678,312, file (1* line 2 2 of Figure 1 showing the inclined guards or seals provided on each side of the belt to prevent leakage therefrom;

l igure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional. *view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail plan view of a portion of the belts surface showing llOW- the flexible walls between the pockets will yield to permit the pockets to enlarge and assume a different shape as they pass over the supporting roll at the discharge end of the machine; I

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view showing a portion of the b'elt'positioned upon Figures 6 and? are detail views showing. guards of modified constructions.

Inthe selected embodiment of the invention here shown, for, purposes of disclosure, there is illustrated agrain separator coniprisin'g a casing 11 mounted upon suitable blocks 12, as shown in Figure 1." A receiving opening 13 is provided inthe upper wall of the casing into which the material to be separated may be delivered onto the inclined surface of the separating belt 14 mounted upon suitable rollers 15 within the casing 11.

An inclined'plate 16 is secured to the operates with the inclined surface of the the opening 13. This wall or plate 16 is preferably arranged at an incline with relation to the axis of the shaft 17 of the lower roll 15, as clearly shown in Figure 2. The purpose. of thus arranging the plate 16 on an incline with relation to the shaft '17 is to cause the relatively coarser material,

which is too large-to be conveyed by the indented or pocketed surface of the belt, to travel towards one side of the machine and he discharged through a spout 18 into a suitable receiving means, not shown. A hopper 19 having a spout 21 leading there from, preferably arranged at the rear of the machine to receive the separated ma- 105 terial which is conveyed'to the rear of the machine by the belt, as shown in Figure 1.

A feature of this'invention resides in the novel construction of the separating belt mounted upon the supporting rollers 15. Thesurfaceof this belt, as shown in the drawings, is substantially covered with a plurality of indentations or ,pockets 22 '.85 right-hand wall of the casing 11 and-co which are formed b the transversewalls 23 and the relatively sl iort walls 24, preferably arranged in staggered relation as clearly shown in Figure 4;. The transverse walls 23 are preferably undercut or arranged at an incline as shown in Figure 5 so'as to receive and convey the material to the rear of the machine. The relatively shorter walls 21 are preferably vertical and are arranged in staggered relation as shown to cause the transverse walls 23 to be pulled or stretched into the sha e or form shown on the left hand side of igure 4, as the belt passes over the upper supporting roll 15. The separating belt 14 is constructed of a suitable flexible material such, for instance, as rubber which is suitably reinforced by canvas or fabric, such as is customary in structures of this character.

By thus constructing the upper indented surface of the belt of a flexible and elastic material as above described, the pockets 22, in passing over the rolls 15, will be elongated or enlarged to readily discharge the material lower faces 27 arranged over the surface of the belt in closeproximity thereto but, as .shown 1nF1gures3, 6 and 7 out of contact.

therewith. The relatively larger and wider enclsof the guards 25 preferably abut against the inclined cross wall 16 as shown in Figure 2. By thus arranging the guards 25 over the separating belt 14, the portion of the belts surface onto which the material to be separated delivered for separation, V will be relatively smaller .in area so that as the material is conveyed upwardly by the pockets 22 in the beltssurface, it will constautly be traveling into a relatively wider area, thereby positively preventing any of the material from wedging under the guards 25 and dropping; off the edges of the belt. The inner walls 28 of the guards 25 are preferably inclined as shown in Figure 3, so as to direct the material inwardly away from the edges of the belt. The guards 25 are also preferably formed and constructed as shown in Figures 2 and 3, but, if desired, they may be shaped as shown in Figures 6 and 7, it being understood that the primary purposeof the guards isto prevent leakage of the material at the sides of the belt by decreasing in area the effective receiving portion of the belts surface and causing the material bein conveyed to travel into a relatively wi er area and away from the guards as indicated in Figure 2, thereby positively preventing the material from becoming wedged between the guards and the belts surface, or working out over the edges of the belt.

In the operation of this novel grain separator the material to be separated is delivered. through the opening 13 into the trough-like receiving means formed by the upper inclined surface of the belt. and the inclined wall 16, shown in Figure 1. The pockets 22 in the belts surface are of such size to receive material of a given size such, for instance, aswhen separating wheat from oats or coarser material. As the material is delivered onto the belts surface, which is constantly traveling in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figure 1, the matethe material to separated will drop into the pockets and will be conveyed upwardly to the rear of the machine and be discharged into the hopper 19, as clearly shown in Figure 1. As a result of the pocket walls i being constructed of a flexible v material, they will, in passing over the periphery of the upper roll 15, be pulled or stretched substantially to the form shown on the left hand. side of Figure 4, thereby causing the material being conveyed thereby to be discharged into the hopper 19 without any danger of it being carrled'to the lower portion of the casing 11,

The lighter and coarser material will gradually work to the top of the mass of grain deposited upon the lower inclined surface of the belt, and as a result ofthe plate 16 being arranged on an incline, as shown in Figure 2 the coarser and lighter material will gradually travel across the machine to the discharge spout 18 from which it may be discharged to a suitable receiving means, not shown, a

The inclined guards or guides 25 will cause the material to be continuall traveling into a wider area as a result 0 the belt traveling from beneath the guards as indicated by the arrows in Figure 2. By the employment of these guards, therefore, the material will appear as if constantly traveling away from the sides of the belt, thereby ositively preventi any of the material from working or we gi between the upper surface of the belt and t e lower faces'27 of the inclined guards or seals 25.

In the drawings, I have shown the belts surface as being covered with pockets of from one another. The particular shape and form of the guards or guides25- may also be varied in many ways without departing; from the" invention, it being understood that the primary purpose ofthe guards is to provide means for partially covering the receiving portion of the belt surface so as to cause the material being'separated to be continually traveling away from the guards 25 and the edgesof the belt.

I have shown and' described these guards or guides used with an endless belt to prevent the material from working laterally over the edges thereof and toguide such material forwardly away from-such edges.

'1 do not wish however" to confine in self to the application or use of these guides with a belt as this feature of the invention may beused with other forms of separators or with revolving drums such as are used in scalpers and revolving screens Where difficultyis experienced in keeping the material from working off the edges. The principle involved and the method of operation would be'substantially the same as shownherein and detailed illustration and descriptlon is,

therefore, considered unnecessary.

I have disclosed in the foregoing specification and the drawings the preferred form of my invention but" I do not limit myself to the details of construction shownvand described except as the same come within the scope of the following claims.

' I claim as my invention:

1. A machme of the ClLSSClGSCIlbGCl comprising retalmng'means for the material i to be separated, an endless belt having flexible pocketsin its outer surface the Walls of which are thin and substantially of uniform thickness throughout and always closed at the inner side of said belt and open at the outer side thereof and adapted to receive certain kinds of materialfrom the co-mingled body in said retainingmeans and adapted to be distended and assume another shape to discharge-the material at a point higher up than the point where it is received,

but on the same sideof the belt as the point of reception of the material.

' '2. In a machine of the class described, a

"separator havinga series of pockets in its surface, said pockets being closed at the bottom normally of a SlILIPB'lZOl'GCGlVQ the material and adapted tochange their shape and become elongated or enlarged across the full width of the working surface of the separator at a predetermined point in the movement of the separator for the rapid discharge of the material collected therein.

3. In a machine of the classdescribed, an endlessbelt having a series of pockets in its surface adapted to collect and separate fine from coarser material, said pockets be ing closed at the bottom and normally having a certain shape to receive the material and provided with flexible walls adapted for elongation the entire width of the working surface to assume another shape at a predetermined point in the movement of the belt forthe rapid discharge of the material in' the pockets.

4 In a machine ofthe class described, a traveling separator having a surface composed of flexible resilient material and provided with a series of pockets adapted to collect and separate fine from coarser maof said separator, guards substantiallyout of contact with but overhanging vthe edges of the separator and having their under surfaces parallel with and adjacent the surface of said separator and preventing the material from working off the edges thereof, and decreasing in 'width from the point of delivery-of the material to said separator toward the' point of discharge therefrom whereby the motion of the separator will direct the material away fromthe gap between the guards and separator.

6'. A separator comprising a container for material to be separated, an endless pocketed belt, and tapered guards with their small ends extending in the direction vof the belts travel and one side or edge in close proximity to the belt s surface but, out of contact therewith so that the pocketed surface of the belt is continually traveling into a wider area from'under said guard, thus preventing the material from falling off the sides or edges of said belt.

7. A separator comprising a container for material to be separated, an endless pocketed belt and angular guards overhanging the sidemargins of said belt and out of contact with the belt, the lower portions of said guards being wider thus extending farther in from the belts margin and the smaller ends pointing in the directionof the belts travel and closer to the margins'of said belt so that the pocketed surface of the belt is continually traveling into a wider area from under said guards.

8. A machine of the class described, upper and lower rolls and an endless belt arranged at an incline on said rolls, means for holding the material to be separated upon the lower portion of the upper run or stretch of said belt, said belt having a plurality of pockets normally substantially rectangular in form in its surface, the bottoms of said pockets being closed and adapted to receive the finer material and the adjacent. pockets having comparatively thin flexible Walls separating them onefrom the other, said walls being capable of distension to enlarge and change the shape of said pockets as they pass over the rolls whereby said pockets will assume an elongated form and the finer material collected in said pockets will be completely and rapidly discharged at a predetermined point in the movement of the belt.

9. In a machineof the class described, a separatorhaving a series of pockets in its surface adapted to collect line material to separate it from coarser material and guard members overhanging the edges of said separatorand having their under surface; normally out of contact with the surface of said separator, said guard members also having under surfaces decreasing in width from the receivingpoint of the material on said 1 separator toward the discharge point thereof, so thattheouter pockets of said separator are traveling continuously into a wider area from under said guards.

10. A machine of the class described, comprising a traveling separator having indentations or pockets to receive relatively fine material and separate it from coarser material, and guard members overhanging the edges of said separator adjacent its separating surface but normally out of contact therewith and having diverging, inner faces, the outer indentations being adapted to travel from under said guards and receive the fine material and cooperate with the adjac'ent diverging surfaces of said guards to "deflect such material inwardly from said guards and close or seal the entrance to the gapvhetween said separator and guards.

11 A machine of the class described comprising a traveling separator having pockets initssurface for the separation of fine from coarse material, and guard members overhanglng the edges of said separator in close proximity thereto but normally out of contact therewith, said members having nonyielding faces so formed that the outer pockets of said separator travel from under said members into a space between them that increases in width toward the discharging with the upper surface of said separator and adjacent thereto, but substantially out of' contact therewith, said guard members de creasing in cross-sectional area from the point of reception of the material on said belt, toward the discharge oint thereof, so that said separator is traveling continuously into a wider area from under said guard members. i i

13. The combination with a casing, of a traveling conveyer mounted to operate at an incline therein and having a surface for separating fine from coarse material, and guards mounted upon each side of said conveyer and overhanging the edges thereof but separated therefrom and extending lengthwise of the conveyer, said guards having surfaces, in close proximity to the surfaces of the conveyor, the opposing faces of said guards being formed to cooperate. with said conveyor moving thereunder to direct the body of material on the conveyer away from the guards. j j 14. A travelin conve or, a substantially rigid guard mem or over anging and'closely adjacent an edge ofrsaid conveyor, the overhanging edge of the guard member extending diagonally to the direction of motion of the conveyor and the guard member being continuously out of contact with the conveyor.

15. A traveling separator having indentations to receiverelatively fine material and separate it from coarser material, and guard members overhangin the edges of said separator, but substantial ly out of contact therewith, the indentations receiving the fine material, and said guards bein so formed andpositioned with respect to said separator that the material will be directed forwardly away from the guards into a wider exposed area on said separator,

16. In a machine of the class described an endless separator belt having a series of pockets formed in its upper surface said pocketsbeing closed at the bottom and extending transversely of the belt, and having comparatively thin walls of substantially the same thickness throughout for separating the ad'acent transverse pockets, the pockets.

norma ly being adapted to receive the material to be separated, the finer material falling into the pockets, the narrow walls between the pockets'becoming distended at a a predetermined point in the movement of the belt and separatin the opposite end walls of the pockets whereby the finer material collected in the pockets will be rapidly discharged.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of September 1925.

'JOHN A. PERKINS. 

